Portable flash-light.



J. L. MAYHEW. PDRTABLE FLASH LIGHT.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 3. H113.

July 151 i911 Patented a'wvemtoz JOSEPH L. MHYHEW JOSEPH L. MAYHEW, 0FWILLIAMSTOWN, MASSACHUSETTS.

PORTABLE FLASH-LIGHT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 10, 1917.

Application filed May 8, 1916. Serial No. 95,193.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH L. MAYHEW, a citizen of the United States,residing at Williamstown, in the county of Berkshire and State ofMassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inPortable Flash-Lights, of which the following is a specification,reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to electric flash lamps and the general object ofthe invention is the provision of a lamp so constructed that it'may beused in situations where the ordinary flash lamp is not capable of use,such as between floors and partitions, around machinery and betweenbeams.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a lamp supportwherein there is a battery container or casing and a lamp, the lampbeing connected to the casing by a flexible section so constructed thatit may be bent, but will retain the bend given to it so that thisflexible section may be curved, bent or otherwise deflected so that itmay pass by or around obstructions.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved means forelectrically connecting the lamp with the battery contained within thecasing, and still another object is to provide a reflector and a lamp soconstructed that they may be connected to or detached from the flexiblemember as a unit.

Other objects will be later stated.

One practical form of the invention will be described and illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a vertical sectionalview;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of an angle lamp reflector showing the methodof attaching and carrying the lamp;

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the switchr Fig. 4 is an enlargedsectional view of the cone cap and its several component parts orfittings.

In portable flash lamps it is necessary to provide a casing for carryingthe battery and to this end I provide a casing 5 which is of hard fiberor other insulating material and which may have any desired shape, oneend of this casing being provided with a metallic ring 40, riveted tothe fiber casing and exteriorly screw threaded to engage with a screwthreaded closing cap 8. Be tween the battery and the'closing cap thereis disposed a spring 7 which urges the battery upward and at the sametime forms an electrical connection between one electrode of the batteryand the metallic cap 6.'

The upper end of the casing 5 is formed of a diaphragm 10 which has acentrally disposed aperture, this diaphragm having downwardly extendingflanges which are exteriorly screw threaded and which are riveted byrivets 9 to the fiber casing 5. Having screw threaded engagement withthe flange of the diaphragm 10 is a substantially conical cap.Positioned within the aperture of the diaphragm 10, and projectingthrough from the battery side, or under side, is a suitable insulatingbushing 11 which is formed with flanges to engage with the under side ofthe diaphragm 10. This insulating bushing 11 is also provided with asuitable through passage and in the lower end is disposed a suitableterminal 12 which may be formed of any conducting material. Thisterminal 12 is also provided with a central aperture or passage andthrough this passage extends a conducting wire 13. This conducting wirepasses through the terminal 12 and is secured to it in such a manner aswill provide a good electrical connection. It is then cut-ofl flush withthe lower edge of the terminal.

The upper end of the cap or cover 8 is provided with a suitable apertureand positioned within this aperture is a threaded and flanged sleeve 14constituting a socket. This sleeve at its upper end has its flange 15turned outwardly and soldered to a suitable flattened portion of thecover 8. Extending downwardly from the flange 15, is the threadedportion and at the lower end or extremity of the threaded portion, theinwardly turned flange 16 is provided. This inwardly turned flange 16 isso formed that it will securely hold an insulating washer or bushing 17which is provided with a suitable centrally disposed aperture. Operatingin connection with the casing 5 is a flexible metallic tube 20 which isso formed that it may be inserted in the sleeve or socket 14 and at theextremity of this tube which is inserted within the socket 14 there isprovided an insulating bushing 18 having a central aperture. The bushing18 is held from any longitudinal movement in the extremity of themetallic tube 20.

Positioned in the apertures of the insulating washers 17 and 18 are themetal bushings 19 and 19 The metal bushing 19 is provided with a passagethrough which extends the conducting wire 13 leading from the terminal12. Thls conducting wire is secured to the metal bushing 19 in anysuitable way. One method of attaching being by soldering after theconducting wire has been drawn through or extended under tension betweenthe two bushings, thus spacing the terminals. 12 and 19 a certaindistance apart and holding the washers 11 and 17 securely in theirrespective seats.

Adapted to be secured to the sleeve 14 is aflexible tube 20. This tube20 is preferably threaded at one end to engage with the threads of thesleeve 14. The opposite end is enlarged and also provided with suitablethreads 26 to engage with the threads 21 of the reflector 27. This willpermit the reflector to be screwed onto the end of the tube. Thethreaded portion of the reflector is also provided with suitable threadsso that the base of the lamp 22 may be engaged or inserted therein.

Disposed adjacent the threaded socket end 26 of the tube 20 there is aninsulating washer 23 which is provided with a centrally disposedaperture through which passes a conducting wire 24. This washer isfirmly secured to the tube in any suitable manner. This conductor passesfrom the terminal 25 to the terminal 19 to which it is secured, then byfrictional contact the terminal 19 contacts with the terminal 19 and theconducting wire 13 connects the terminal 19 with the terminal 12. Thusone side of the electric circuit is made complete.

The ends of the flexible tube 20 are pref erably formed with a rigidportion which extends into the sleeve 14 and away therefrom for somedistance in order to prevent the tube from flexing too near the cap. Theopposite end-is also provided with a rigid portion which extends fromthe socket end 26. The lamp 22 may be of any suitable form or typehaving a base threaded to cooperate with the threaded portion or socketof the reflector 27. The reflector 27 may be of any convenientorsuitable form that may project the light rays from the lamp 22 outwardand through the lens 28. This lens 28 may be of the plano-convex'type orof any other suitable form. The planoconvex type is shown.

Adjacent the free edge of the reflector there are formed suitable screwthreads which are adapted to cotiperate with a suitably threaded ring 29having a lens engaging portion turned inwardly to form a small flange30. The lens 28 may be seated against the peripheral edge of thereflector and held to the reflector by means of this ring 29 or it maybe preferred to carry the lens in a suitable recess which may be formedby the flanges 30 of the ring 29 and therefore uniting the ring and thelens together and permitting their removal as one piece There may betimes when it is desired to use the light in a confined space and toprovide for this the angle tube 31 is shown. This is preferably of arelatively short length and is formed with an approximately right-anglebend. This angle bend is adapted to be used in place of the reflector atthe upper end of the flexible tube 20 by unscrewing the reflector 27from its socket and screwing the angle bend 31 into its place. Toprovide for this method of attaching, suitable threads 32 are providedat the lower end of this bend while the upper end is formed in a similarmanner to that previously described for holding the lamp 1n posltlon.

Secured to one side of the battery casing 5, is a suitable switch forcompleting the circuit through the battery and the conducting wire, thelamp and thence back to the other terminal of the battery. Oneparticular form of switch is shown in Fig. 3, WhlCh is secured to thecasing by means of the plate 33. A slide 34 is provided which iselectrically connected to the cap 6 by a conducting wire a and plate 33,this slide engaging the slits 35. The slide is formed with a contactspring 36. Disposed in the path of movement of the circuit closingspring 36 is a terminal 37 which is electrically connected to the cap 8by a conducting wire b. This terminal 37 is insulated from the plate 33,the button 34 and the spring 36 by the material of the casing. This putsthe plate 33 in electrical contact with the one terminal of the batterythroughspring 7. Adjacent the lower edge of the plate 33 and in a linewith the button 34, there may be provided suitable means for locking thecontact spring 36 out of engagement with the terminal 37 to prevent anaccidental closing of the circuit at any time. The button 34 is adaptedto slide backward and forward in the slits 35 and is formed with itslateral edges to more particularly engage with these slits.

This flash lamp is especially suitable, by its construction and assemblyto be used with instruments in the nature of periscopes including anangular observation tube and mirrors disposed within the observationtube so as to reflect an object along the length of the observationtube, these instruments being particularly adapted for use in certainform of electrical work, as for instance, the Wiring of houses, theinstrument being adapted to be inserted with its end in the spacebetween floors or partitions so that a view may be had of this space andthe obstructions to the passage of wires may be noted.

The flexible tube 20 is of such a construction that it may be bent intoany desired shape and retain the bend given to it. I, of course, do notclaim this particular form of flexible tube as it is common and wellknown.

The purpose of this tube is to provide a upport for the lamp which,while it may be bent relatively easily, will be stiff enough to ofier asupport for the lamp so that the lamp may be shifted by shifting thebattery container. If the conductor were merely a flexible cord, forinstance, this could not be done, nor could the lamp be pushed into thepositions necessary for an observation or necessary to illuminate spacesbetween floors, around beams, and behind machine parts.

In the practical operation or use of the device, after a suitableopening has been made in the floor or the partition, a periscope of thecharacter above described may be inserted and this portable flash lampalso inserted through the same opening and by means of the lamp at itsextremity, all the obstructions existing in that partition or beneaththe flooring may be seen. This enables the workman to readily note justwhere those obstructions are and will save considerable time and laborin the running of wires or conduits and will also avoid the necessity oftaking up parts of the floor or of making unnecessarily large openingsin the partitions. To use this device the button 34 is slid forward outof engagement with its'locking means and thereby completes the circuitwhen the spring 36 contacts with the terminal 37 and the lamp isenergized.

- When it is desired to carry the lamp from one building to another, theflexible tube 20 is simply unscrewed from the sleeve 14 and the pushbutton 34: is moved downward or toward the lower end of the case so thatit will engage with the locking means 39. Then the several parts may bepacked in a small tool box or carried in a tool bag and the battery isfully protected from being short circuited through any connectingmaterial.

Minor changes in the form and details of construction may be resorted towithout departing from the spirit of my invention or the scope of theappended claims.

What is claimed is 1. In an electric light support, a battery container,a battery casing, a metallic socket having an insulated contact, thesocket and the contact being adapted to be connected to a batterydisposed within the casing, an electric lamp including a metallic baseand an insulated contact, and a tubular metallic contact member insertedin said socket at one end and at the other end receiving the base of thelamp, said tubular member having insulated contacts at its ends adaptedto engage the contact of the lamp and the contact of the first namedsocket, and a single wire connected to said contacts in the tubularmember and extending through the member.

2. A flash lamp including a battery casing of insulating material, ametallic cap closing one end of the casing and having a battery contact,a metallic diaphragm at the other end of the casing, a metallic capdetachably engaged with this end of the casing and having a metallicsocket, an insulated battery contact disposed in the diaphragm andadapted to engage one pole of the battery within the casing, aninsulated metallic contact disposed in the socket, a wire connectingsaid contacts, and a switch mounted on the casing and having elementselectrically connected to the caps at opposite ends of the casing.

3. A flash lamp of the character described including a battery casingformed of insulating-material, a metallic cap at one end having abattery contact, a metallic diaphragm at the other end of the casing ametallic cap detachably engaged with this end of the casing and having ametallic socket, an insulated battery contact disposed in the diaphragm,an insulated metallic contact disposed in the end of the socket, a wireconnecting said contacts, a switch on the wall of the casing havingelements electrically connected to said caps, a hollow metallic memberhaving one end removably engaged in said socket and having insulatedcontacts at its ends, a slack conductor disposed within said member andelectrically connecting said contacts, and an electric lamp having abase adapted to be inserted in that end of the casing.

4. In a lamp support of the character described, a battery containerclosed at one end and provided with a terminal contact carried in saidend but insulated therefrom, a ca mounted on this end of the containerand ormed with a threaded socket, a contact member carried in the baseof the socket and electrically connected to the first named contactmember, a flexible metallic tubular member havin one end adapted to bescrew-threaded in said socket and having a contact therein adapted toengage the contact in the base of the socket, the opposite end of thetubular member being formed with a screw-threaded socket and with a lampengaging contact electrically connected to the contact in the oppositeend of the tubularmember, and a lamp adapted to be inserted in the lastnamed socket and engaged with said lamp contact.

5. A flashlight including a battery casing, a battery engaging spring atone end of the casing, a metallic diaphragm at the other end of thecasing extending across this end, a cap detachably engaged with this endof the casing and extending outward and toward the axial center of thecasing and having a socket at its center extending inward toward thepartition, a conductor carried by the partition and extending into thesocket but insulated therefrom, the conductor being [hollow metallicmember away from said having a metallic neck detachably engaging Inasaeaa the socket, and a lamp detachably mounted in .the neck havingterminals, one engaging the neck of the lamp housing and the other 15engaging said contact, the hollow conductor being adapted to be engagedby the other terminal of a source of energy.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature in the presence oftwo witnesses.

JOSEPH L. MAYHEW.

Witnesses:-

SANBORN Govn 'IENNEY, MICHAEL L. MONAHAN.

